Recollection
by tediz-leader
Summary: "It doesn't take the death of your whole family to turn you evil, you know... It just has to be that one special person." He was too busy complaining about his headache and trying to ignore his arch enemy to even notice the fact that Pariah Dark had started getting up.
1. Chapter 1

**Just needed to write this to get rid of my Writer's Block...**

**On a side note, damn, I missed this fandom...**

**Disclaimer: pfft... like I own anything...**

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"It doesn't take the death of your whole family to turn you evil, you know... It just has to be that one _special_person." Danny grit his teeth together in an attempt to stop himself from attacking the monster standing behind him. He ignored him as best he could, focusing instead on the blood staining his hazmat suit and gloves, and the owner of said red-liquid.

"You can try all you want to ignore me. But in the end, we both know it's_ your_ fault he's dead." He squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears from escaping his eyes as he pressed himself closer to the corpse in his arms. Hearing the other's dark laughter echo through the ruined throne room, the halfa tried to focus more on the good despite the fact is was becoming very difficult to do so. Danny bit his lip hard enough to make it bleed again as he tried to calm down. Opening his eyes again, he narrowed them into a hateful glare when _he_appeared right in front of him, lips curled into a smug grin and eyes glittering like the blood on the floor.

"Though I can easily guess what happened here, I'd like to hear it from _you_. I want to hear your _lovely_rendition of the chain of events that eventually lead to his death." he purred maliciously, having the audacity to run his forked tongue around his fangs in childish glee. Danny growled when his alternate future self gently touched the dead man's cheek.

"Such a shame... He looked so much prettier with his hair down..." Danny slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch him!" He yelled as he pulled the dead man away from Dan, who only looked at him with amused red eyes.

"My, my... You are rather protective of him... just like he was protective of you... And that's why he's dead now..."

"Shut up..."

"All because you forgot the most important rule about fighting; never turn your back on your enemy..."

"Shut up."

"But that wasn't the only thing you did wrong, Danny... What ultimately killed him was your choice to face Pariah Dark alone when you _clearly_weren't strong enough."

"I said _shut up_!" Before Danny could even begin to charge up an ecto-blast, his future self hand already grabbed him by the throat and tightened his grip just enough so he could barely breathe.

"Now don't start picking fights you can't win; you barely have enough energy to stay transformed... Now, will you tell me what happened?" He asked, basically purring the last of the question. Danny looked away from the other, staring at the bloody sword laying several feet away and the sarcophagus that was permanently shut standing in the corner.

"He... woke up..." Dan's grip loosened around his neck, letting him breathe and talk better. "All... Fright Knight's doing..." Dan scoffed.

"I know that part... I want to hear the good part, Danny." He smiled maliciously, "Tell me how he _died_!"

"He... died protecting me-" he choked as the grip on his throat tightened.

"I want every single detail, Danny... Every. Last. _Excruciating._Detail..." He loosened his grip, and the younger halfa gasped for air. Regaining his composure, he cleared his throat.

"He... He heard from Skulker I was going to face Pariah Dark alone... so... he came to help... he took... forever... to get here..."

"Oh, that's because he had to fight off Pariah's soldiers... Even had to slay one of the dragons... now... go on..." Danny looked over at the sarcophagus again, remembering how he had looked for the ghost king after weakening him with the battle suit.

"I... found him in the throne room... I had to leave the suit... it was totaled..." He remembered walking up to Pariah as he sat on his throne, making his speech about stopping him once and for all and scowling when the ghost only mocked him in response.

"We... fought..." Though, to be honest, it was more like he had to shield himself from Pariah's heavy blows and powerful attacks. He couldn't recall most of it, and, judging by the way all of his body ached, he didn't know how he could still keep his transformation. A dark chuckle snapped him out of his musings.

"And let me guess, before he could deliver the finishing blow, our favorite cheese head flies in and saves you?" He asked in a mocking tone. Keeping his temper in check, Danny muttered a 'yes' and continued.

"He blasted him hard enough to drop me..." That was an understatement; Vlad practically melted the king's shoulder armor with all the power he had put in that blast. He remembered the unfiltered rage he had only seen once on lionesses protecting their cubs in a nature show.

"We fought him... managed to knock him out..." he ignored the other's statement on how it was his 'favorite part' as he remembered what happened and if there was any way he could've done anything different. He remembered collapsing to his knees out of exhaustion and an excruciating headache from all those times Pariah Dark slammed him against the walls. Vlad said something about missing a Packers' game as he transformed back to his human form. _'To preserve energy'_, he had told him as he checked on him.

"He... checked to see if I was alright..." Danny was too busy complaining about his headache and trying to ignore his arch enemy to even notice the fact that Pariah Dark had started getting up.

"Pariah Dark... Woke up..."

"Go on~" He bit his lip and looked at the sword, remembering nothing but being shoved rather roughly by the man he swore to fight against.

"He... threw his sword..." He remembered being mad at him, demanding to know why he was pushed so roughly he fell back and hit his head against the wall.

"Yes?" Danny looked at his older self with saddened eyes, narrowing them in anger when he saw the excitement in his face. He looked away, closing his mouth to say he wouldn't talk anymore.

"Ah, my favorite part!" Dan let go of his throat and grabbed the dead man in his arms instead, tearing him away. Danny cried out in protest and tried to get up, but fell over into the pool of blood instead. He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked up to glare at the other.

"Give him back!" He cried as he pushed himself up on his knees. Dan smirked and tightened his hold.

"Tell me what happened and I'll return your precious uncle to you..."

"What do you want me to say?" He screamed, not caring if a few tears fell from his eyes. "That he _pushed me_ out of the way? That the sword got _him_ instead of _me_? _Is that what you want?"_

"No..." he replied calmly as he walked closer to his younger self and kneeled down to his level. He then grabbed him by the chin and made look down at the dead man in his arms.

"I want you to tell me how he_ bled_; how he coughed it up as he told you his last words!" Danny tried to pull away but the grip was too strong, even if his chin was wet from all the tears he was shedding. Dan's mouth curled into a fang-bearing grin at his distress.

"I want you to tell me how he said he loved you... even after all you did to him..." Danny openly sobbed now, remembering Vlad with the sword through his chest and Pariah Dark's laughter echoing through the castle.

"Tell me how his blood just kept pouring out like a _river_~" Vlad's sapphire eyes were wide in shock and pain, and it was at that moment Danny realized he much rather preferred it when his eyes were half-lidded and smug.

"Tell me how he coughed up blood." _'Don't give up, Daniel.'_Vlad said as blood dribbled down his chin and onto his crisp white shirt. The tips of his loose gray hair was stained red, he remembered it was because he was in the middle of getting ready for work when Skulker found him.

"Tell me his last words, Danny~" Dan purred darkly as he gently took Vlad's head and lifted him up slightly. Danny looked at his closed eyes and blood- stained face. It scared him how the man looked so peaceful and... _Normal_... despite the blood around his lips and chin and messy hair framing his face. Since when did Vlad look so mortal?

_'I've always been proud of you, Daniel. I believe in you... I... love... you...'_He remembered how Vlad's eyes closed slowly and gracefully, because the man practically did everything with grace. His sobs died down into quiet sniffles as he dwelled on Vlad's words; they were a strange comfort to him. Dan let go of Vlad, letting him fall into whatever position as he stood up and began walking away.

"I'll be seeing you around, Daniel." He smirked darkly as green fire began to swirl around him. Danny let out a shaky sigh and he pulled Vlad close to him.

"No… you won't." He replied bluntly as he stood up, carrying Vlad's body with newfound strength. Dan's smirk fell to a frown.

"It's unavoidable; you _will_become me." Danny glared at him.

"I will never _be_ like you! If Vlad believed in me, then I can believe in myself, too!" He turned around and made his way to the exit, ignoring the other's angry yells as he teleported away from the castle to wherever the dark phantom was hiding out. Danny paid no attention to anything except whatever was in front of him. Vlad was surprisingly light for his age and strength, but Danny decided to dwell too much on that fact and continued forward until he stepped outside. It wasn't until Frostbite ran over and placed a hand on his shoulder did Danny fall to his knees and let out the rest of his unshed tears.


	2. Chapter 2

**This part should not have made me cry as much as it did... and I still have writer's block... but it's not as bad as before... it's helping... For added effect, listen to When Somebody Loved Me...**

**Disclaimer: yep... I still own nothing...**

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Danielle rolled her eyes as her limo sped away from the reporters gathered around the front of the law offices. They were starting to seriously piss her off despite the fact she understood why they were so relentless. Her 'father' was one of the most powerful men in the economic world, and she, his 'daughter', just decided to appear right after his death. She leaned back in her seat and sighed, pulling the headband out of her hair. It was times like these she really missed talking to him, even though they would communicate via phone call during this time.

"Are you alright, young miss?" She looked up and gave her chauffer a sad smile.

"Just tired, Mr. Smith... Tired and nostalgic..." She replied, playing with a strand of hair. For a second, she wished her hair was full black, but shook the thought away quickly.

"I understand, young miss. Now, your tutor will meet you at two, which will give you enough time for lunch, and a Mr. Gray will stop by at seven to deliver some paperwork concerning some business." The girl merely hummed in response, thinking maybe her hair would look better as a light brown instead. She gave up on that thought as well, deciding she was rather content with her hair color, which was a mix of brown and black, with a strange white streak by her left ear.

"Have the maids re-decorated the living room?" Mr. Smith nodded.

"They just finished a few minutes ago. By your orders, most of the house has been relinquished of the gold and green color scheme and has been accommodated to more modern colors. The only rooms left with the gold and green theme are the Game Room with the bar and the living room in the second floor in the east wing. They also followed your strict order of not changing the master bedroom or taking anything from it."

"Good..." Smoothing out a wrinkle from her plaid skirt, Danielle looked up and caught a glimpse of her eyes in the driver's rearview mirror. A slight twinge of pain shot through her heart seeing her own sapphire orbs. Mr. Smith, as though sensing his charge's distress, cleared his throat.

"You know, my dear, when the late master first introduced me to you, your eyes were a lighter shade of blue. And though I found it odd that you seemed to have not gotten anything from your father, I couldn't help but feel happier when your eyes grew as dark as his." He gave her a sad, but comforting smile, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"You have your father's eyes, miss. That same lovely shade of blue that reminds me of Sinclair's Bay... We used to vacation there a lot with my family when I still lived in England..." She sniffed, wiping a stray tear from her eye.

"Thanks, Mr. Smith..." She remembered freaking out that morning after she got that blood transfusion from Vlad. Her hair was lighter, her skin had a more olive tint to it, and her eyes were that darker shade of blue. It scared her to think that her creator would be upset at her changes, but she was proven wrong. He wasn't angry at her, but rather relieved that she didn't melt every time she used her powers.

"Now then, have you presented all the files to the lawyers?" She nodded.

"I did. They have seen that my personal records are all legitimate and I'll be getting in touch with them about the will tomorrow." The records had named some random woman in Europe as her mother and that she died in an accident. Her father even went through the troubles to create photos of the fictional woman and have them 'hidden' in his desk at work. The media ate it up like dogs given a steak. As for her 'secrecy,' she stated that her father didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, and that she had a certain skin condition for a long time. It amazed her how much effort he put into making them seem like a legitimate family.

"There are still some waters and yogurt in the cooler in case you're hungry." She nodded in thanks and pulled it open. Grabbing a strawberry yogurt, she paused when she caught sight of her father's mineral water. She composed herself and shut the drawer quickly.

"Have the Aspen trees been cared for as well?" There were four young Aspen saplings in total that were planted in the backyard, each one a secret grave marker for the clones that didn't survive. There were times she felt guilty that she was the only survivor, but Vlad always told her that the only one who should feel guilty was him.

"They've been watered and fertilized this morning right after you left." She hummed as she ate a spoonful of yogurt, briefly remembering one time her father showed her how much better it tasted when it was frozen.

"And... the police department?"

"They unfortunately closed the case, young miss. The trail went cold, and no clues have been found to lead us to your father's killer." She sighed sadly. She knew who his killer was, but the world wouldn't believe that a fabled ghost king threw his huge sword at her father while he was trying to protect Danny Phantom. But they believed her and her lies about how she came to be... The world was a strange place... and by strange she meant unfair beyond comprehension.

"I understand." But she didn't understand why Vlad had to be such a great father to her. She didn't understand why he accepted her as his daughter and loved her so much that she in turn loved him back only to have him taken away from her!

"Can I take a nap for a bit, Mr. Smith? I woke up really early today..." He nodded and smiled.

"Of course, my dear. Call me if you need anything." She gave her thanks and smiled as she rolled up the window so he couldn't see her anymore. Once she made sure it was shut she finally let out the sob she'd been holding in for hours. Pulling the sleeve of her blue sweater over her hand, she wiped her eyes vigorously to dry her tears. Vlad Masters was truly a good father to her; he had taught her how to use her powers and treated her like a human being, even though they both knew she was initially created to be a 'back-up' plan in case Danny Phantom was no more. She now understood more than ever why Vlad was so afraid of losing Danny after they defeated Pariah Dark once. She understood why he was afraid to love her at first because the first three clones died shortly after awakening. And yet he still did, even when she started melting he loved her like his own daughter. And when he used his own blood to stabilize her, she was, technically, his own flesh and blood.

"I miss you, Daddy..." she whispered to herself as she lay down to take a nap. Danielle sniffed and rubbed her eyes. For a brief moment, she wished he wasn't so good. She wondered if maybe it wouldn't' be so painful if he was just a power-hungry, obsessive half-ghost who cloned Danny for the sake of having him as a son. But then she remembered his pained expression when he saw her after the blood transfusion; he said it was like those pictures couples order to determine how their offspring would look like in ten years had just come to life. It reminded him of what he might've had if he settled down earlier in life, and Danielle couldn't help but feel guilty over it. She remembered him comforting her, telling her that she looked beautiful no matter what and pulled her into an embrace. It was then that she discarded the precious thought away. She would rather have her creator be a loving man and murdered than be evil and bitter to the point that he would destroy the world with an asteroid or something like that. She closed her eyes and took a nap before being woken up by Mr. Smith as he opened her door.

"Rise and shine, my dear!" He called cheerily, "Where shall I tell the maids to take your lunch?" She got up and climbed out of the vehicle, rubbing an eye as she brushed her hair back with the other hand.

"Take my food to the gazebo out back by the Aspens. It's a nice day out." She replied, smiling as she gazed at the sky. He nodded in understanding.

"Of course. Oh, by the way..." He added, walking behind her as they walked up towards the estate, "There have been questions regarding your... Accessory you tie around your arm. May I inquire what exactly is it?" Danielle glanced down at the red bowtie tied around her right forearm. It was torn and knotted back together at one section, and the ends were singed and ripped. If one got close enough to it, they could still smell a hint of cologne. Glancing down at it, she merely smiled and tucked her hands behind her back.

"It's just a bow tie, Mr. Smith... Daddy would always wear them... I thought I should start wearing them, too..."

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**First one to find symbolism gets extra credit... not that anyone ever reads my stuff anyways.. **


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